1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a system for displaying video data. More particularly, the invention relates to a system and a method for displaying video data that increases the likelihood that a viewer watches a premium content.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional system for displaying video data includes a monitor or a television (TV) set connected to a set top box. The set top box is connected through a coaxial cable to a cable TV network or a satellite dish for xe2x80x9csatellite TV.xe2x80x9d The TV set and the set top box are located, for example, in a viewer""s home and receive a multitude of TV channels from a broadcast head end, wherein each TV channel has a multitude of programs during a typical day. In order to select and watch a certain program, the viewer usually uses a remote control to control at least the set top box to tune to a desired channel. The TV set receives a video signal from the set top box and displays the program of the desired channel.
Depending on how the system is configured, the viewer can activate the set top box and the TV set separately, or activate only the set top box, which then activates the TV set. If the viewer turns the set top box off after a viewing session, the set top box tunes to a default channel when the viewer turns the set top box on again. The default channel may be the last channel the viewer watched during a previous viewing session, or a pre-selected channel tuned to a head end start-up channel. Other viewers may prefer leaving the set top box always on and turning only the TV set on and off. Thus, when a viewer turns on the TV set, the TV set displays as the default channel the last channel the viewer watched.
A viewer may expand the system by connecting a video recorder to the TV set and the set top box in order to overcome the rigid scheme according to which the programs are broadcast. A viewer, thus, can personalize television viewing by recording a program and watching it when it is convenient for the viewer. The video recorder may be a digital video recorder that includes a hard disk drive with a storage capacity of between 10 GB and 30 GB for recording of up to 30 hours of television programming.
In addition to using a video recorder, alternative systems provide for even more flexibility and viewer-specific television. For example, the digital video recorders (also referred to as personal video recorders) offered by Replay Networks in combination with ReplayTV service and offered by Philips in combination with TiVo service allow the viewer to personalize television viewing. For instance, the personal video recorder can learn a viewer""s preferred programs and automatically record programs it expects a viewer to like. The viewer can also, among other activities, watch and pause live TV. That is, the viewer can pause a favorite show when someone calls and pick up the show again exactly where the viewer left off.
Furthermore, the conventional system may enable the viewer to subscribe to and receive premium content such as subscription channels, video-on-demand services or pay-per-view services in order to watch a movie on a certain day and at a time of day for which the viewer has to pay a per-movie fee. Providers of these services, of course, want to attract as many viewers as possible so that the providers also advertise for their services and specific movies. For example, trailers for movies are broadcast on the subscription channels and the pay-per-view channels or are added as commercials to the other broadcast channels. Personalized television and the increasing number of broadcast channels, however, may defeat the advertisers"" objectives because the trailers or commercials may be buried by the multitude of broadcast channels.
There is therefore a need to improve upon the prior art technique for displaying streaming video data so that it is more likely that an interested viewer in fact watches the premium content.
The present invention may be regarded as a video system. The video system has an input port to receive video data that includes a plurality of premium contents, and has an output port to couple to a video display for displaying video data selected by a viewer. A preference engine coupled to the input port tracks viewer selections of the video data and creates a viewer profile representing viewing preferences of the viewer. A storage device is coupled to the preference engine to store the viewer profile. An image generator is coupled to the input port, the output port and the storage device, wherein the image generator is responsive to the viewer profile and responsive to data representing available video data, including data representing the premium contents. The image generator generates a menu image to be displayed on the video display as a menu including a limited number of viewing preferences having a high probability of acceptance by the viewer. The image generator applies a weighting factor to the data representing the premium contents to ensure that at least one of the premium contents is included in the menu.
Further, the present invention may be regarded as a method of operating a video system. The method creates a viewer profile representing viewing preferences of a viewer and generates a set of data representing available video content, wherein the set of data includes data representing premium content. The method correlates the viewer profile with the set of data representing available video content to generate a set of data representing video content having a high probability of acceptance by the viewer. A weighting factor is applied to the data representing the premium content to ensure that data representing at least one premium content is included in the set of data representing video content having a high probability of acceptance by the viewer. Further, the method generates an image of a menu to be displayed on a video display, wherein the menu is based upon the set of data representing video content having a high probability of acceptance by the viewer, including the data representing the at least one premium content.
The present invention thus provides for an increased likelihood that an interested viewer knows about a certain premium content and thereby increases the probability that the viewer watches the premium content.